Health – Public Affairs Trainee & secondment to pharmaceutical company

Are you passionate about EU health policy and eager to gain first-hand experience inside a leading public affairs agency and biopharmaceutical company? Do you enjoy analysing the impact of EU health policy? Are you motivated, curious, and keen to learn in a fast-paced international environment? If so, this opportunity may be perfect for you!

Acumen Public Affairs is recruiting two trainees who will join the Acumen team as well as be seconded to a leading pharmaceutical company for a 12-month traineeship within their European Policy & Government Affairs team in Brussels.

About the role

You will work day-to-day within the Pharmaceutical Company’s Policy & Government Affairs team, supporting policy monitoring and analysis as well as stakeholder engagement activities across European health and pharmaceutical policy topics. You will also maintain regular connectivity with Acumen through trainings, mentoring, and performance follow-up. This role offers a unique opportunity to experience both a consultancy and in-house EU public affairs environment.

Key responsibilities

Under the supervision of the pharmaceutical company and Acumen managers, you will support:

• Monitoring of EU health, pharmaceutical and life sciences policy developments
• Policy research and analysis on EU legislative and regulatory files
• Drafting of briefings, summaries and internal notes
• Preparation of stakeholder meetings and events
• Mapping of policy stakeholders and institutional processes
• Coordination and organisational support for public affairs activities
• General support to the European Policy & Government Affairs team

What we are looking for:

We are looking for motivated graduates with strong analytical and writing skills and a genuine interest in EU health policy.

Requirements:

Essential:

• EU national or work permit holder as the traineeship is in Brussels, Belgium
• Perfect command of English; additional EU language skills are an asset
• Strong analytical and planning skills
• Demonstrable interest in EU health policy
• Advanced research and writing skills, including the ability to summarise issues quickly and accurately
• Ability to work in a team, whilst at the same time carrying out own tasks independently and to agreed deadlines
• Flexibility, enthusiasm, ability to work under tight deadlines in an international environment
• Proficient with IT and new media tools

Desirable:

• Previous experience in EU policy, public affairs, or health or pharmaceutical sectors is considered a strong asset.
• Previous experience/traineeship in one of the European Institutions – especially in DG SANTE or working for MEPs in the Parliament’s ENVI/SANT/ITRE Committee
• A Master’s degree in EU affairs, public policy, law, political science, public health, economics, pharmaceutical science or similar
• Understanding of EU legislative processes

What we offer:

• A twelve-month paid traineeship.
• Hands-on experience in EU pharmaceutical and health policy
• Exposure to both in-house and consultancy public affairs environments
• A fantastic work environment in which new ideas and approaches are more than welcome.
• Training opportunities on the job as well as dedicated trainings with experienced industry experts.
• Continuous feedback and mentorship during your traineeship, both from your manager and the team members.
• Opportunities to broaden your network, expand your knowledge and expertise in various health-related topics and fast-track your career

Starting date: ASAP

How to apply?

To ensure a fair and skills-based assessment, applications follow a question-based selection process.

Instead of a traditional cover letter, applicants are required to submit written responses to three application questions, with a maximum of 300 words per question. We value clarity, structure and conciseness in your answers.

Applicants should submit  in PDF format to [email protected]:

• CV (saved as: first name_surname_CV)  
• Responses to the three questions below (maximum 300 words per question) – please upload these under the ‘cover letter’ box on the website (saved as: your initials_CL)

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews and a written exercise.

Application Questions

1. What experience do you have working on several projects in parallel? How did you address competing priorities or deadlines?
2. Describe a time you were given a project and the assignment was completely new to you and something that you had never done before. How did you tackle it?
3. What has been your biggest achievement to date? What results that you produced are you most proud of?

About Acumen:

At Acumen, we have built a culture to meaningfully shape policy and deliver impact that lasts. We bring more than an experienced counsel and a winning record to the table. We pride ourselves in being the kind of advisers that clients want at their side during their most complex, difficult decisions. Passionate, committed, and genuinely client-focused, we take pride in offering forward-thinking strategy and steady support. We are always looking for the best talent to contribute to our purpose. Acumen is not just a great place to work; it’s a place where you can make a real difference.

At Acumen, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse backgrounds and perspectives are respected and valued. We ensure all qualified applicants are considered regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, language, religion, disability, age, or socio-economic status.

We believe that our team’s diverse experiences and viewpoints are key to driving innovation and success, and we are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive.

We look forward to meeting you!

The Acumen Team